Special: The Lovebirds, The Way Back, Superman: Red Son Mini-Reviews

The Lovebirds:

Synopsis: A couple (Issa Rae & Kumail Nanjiani) experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As their journey to clear their names takes them from one extreme-- and hilarious -- circumstance to the next, they must figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.

My thoughts: The lovebirds is thoroughly ridiculous and so far out there it makes it hard to enjoy. That being said Kumail and Issa have such chemistry and poise that it's hard to pay attention to anything in the background of the film and enjoy the often hilarious ride they take you on that all the other problems fall by the wayside. This also continues director Michael Showalter's hot streak as the up and coming comedy director despite only 3 credits to date they've all been solid.

Final verdict: 4 unicorn hoodies out of 5.

The Way Back:

Synopsis: Back in high school, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) had everything going for him. A basketball phenom, he could have punched his ticket to college or even the pros, but, instead, he chose to walk away from the game, forfeiting his future. Jack's glory days are long gone... but, as it turns out, not forgotten. Years later, he gets the chance to take back his life when he is asked to coach the struggling basketball team at his alma mater. Jack reluctantly accepts, surprising no one more than himself, and as the boys start to come together as a team and win, he may get his last shot at redemption.

My thoughts: Full disclosure: I enjoy sport dramas and have seen loved ones struggling with alcoholism. Therefore this movie hit me hard. Ben Affleck is back and he's been open with his own struggle with alcoholism which gives this movie a more real feeling despite still being overwhelmed by the normal cliches found in this genre.

Final verdict: 4 AA meetings out of 5.

Superman: Red Son:

Synopsis: After Krypton is destroyed, Kal-El's ship crash lands in the Soviet Union, where he's raised to combat the Communist ideology as Russia's greatest protector: Superman. But as Russia's hero begins to create chaos around the world on behalf of the Soviets, international forces must step in to save the world.

My thoughts: I've praised Warner Brothers and their animation department that has done amazing things with not only the DC Animated Universe but also the one offs like Red Son. The animation is once again stunning however I'm not as on board with the liberties they took with the source material. No, they didn't really change the story thankfully but they changed the tone. The Red Son film is overly simplified by avoiding calling out the political parties on their shit and instead simply takes a "unite against the bigger threat" stance while adding more brutality (the latter of which I didn't mind).

Final verdict: 3.5 comrades out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: June 27, 2020

10. The Used Ft. Caleb Shomo (Beartooth) - The Lottery
Last week: NEW!


9. Neck Deep - Lowlife
Last week: 5.


8. A Day To Remember - Mindreader
Last week: 9.


7. Neck Deep - When You Know
Last week: 8.


6. Silverstein Ft. Princess Nokia - Madness
Last week: 7.


5. blink-182 - Happy Days
Last week: 6.


4. All Time Low - Getaway Green
Last week: 4.


3. Four Year Strong - Get Out Of My Head
Last week: 3.


2. Hot Mulligan - *Equip Sunglasses*
Last week: 2.


1. All Time Low - Sleeping In
Last week: 1.

Special: Ranking Neck Deep's "Life's Not Out To Get You"

We are about a month away from the release of Neck Deep's fourth full length album "All Distortions Are Intentional" so in honour of that I figured now would be a great time to look back at their best album: Life's Not Out To Get You. This was also the album I discovered Neck Deep as I checked out the single Can't Kick Up The Roots as soon as it popped up and I fell in love. On with the ranking!

12. Serpents

Back when I did the Waterparks "Entertainment" ranking I mentioned that Crybaby is the only skippable song, and although I don't "need" to skip Serpents like I do Crybaby it is far and away the worst song on the album. Maybe it's the darker tones on an otherwise summery album? Maybe it's the lack of a hook? Whatever it is, Serpents deserves the bottom of the list.

11. Rock Bottom

You'd think with a title like this it'd find itself in the previous spot but alas Rock Bottom despite being at the bottom of the tracklist isn't quite at the bottom here. It closes off the album reminding listeners to that despite being in a rough spot you gotta let go of the negativity. It's also not a bad song at all as I could regularly jam it, it just speaks to the depth of this album being all the way down here.

10. December

The mandatory slow jam on LNOTGY is actually lyrically beautiful. The acoustic guitar takes center stage and sounds wonderful however what ruins this track is the fact that they recorded a faster version later on and it's much better and the band agrees since it's the version they now play live. This is probably the most popular track off of the album.

9. Threat Level Midnight

The best part of listening to this album is the fade out of track one into track two, otherwise known as Threat Level Midnight. The chunky baseline of former bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans leads us into an anthemic sing along chorus that probably deserves to be up higher but something's gotta fall to the #9 spot and I decided it should be Threat Level Midnight oh and the title was based on The Office.

8. The Beach Is For Lovers (Not Lonely Losers)

With a title like that you just know this track is gonna be good right? Prior to this album, Neck Deep's biggest song was A Part Of Me which this song is along the same vein so it's a popular deep cut for the band. Unlike the rest of the album the vocals sound less hopeful and more suffering. Also fun fact: This is track eight and it's in the eighth spot. Lolz!

7. I Hope This Comes Back To Haunt You

Speaking of popular deep cuts, the penultimate track on the album is another. I Hope This Comes Back To Haunt You starts off slow before turning into one of the loudest. The band have stated on multiple occasions that they love this song but it doesn't translate well live. Hopefully they do an anniversary tour so we can all hear it at least once.

6. Citizens Of Earth

We're kicking off the best 50% of the album with track one. If you never heard Neck Deep before and you start here you probably are going to be fooled as to what you're going to hear going forward. It's super angsty and the guitars of Matt West and Lloyd Roberts are super loud. It feels like a lead hammer hitting you in the face.

5. Smooth Seas Don't Make Good Sailors

Who doesn't love a solid dual chorus? I know I do. This is the track that leads you to know Jeremy McKinnon produced this record as it reminds you of the pop punk oriented A Day To Remember tracks. The vocals are in your face and the melody is fast paced which surprises you since this follows December on the tracklist.

4. Kali Ma

Yet another song with Jeremy McKinnon influence as he provides vocals on the outro to the song. Also this is track four at number four! Another happy coincidence. Dani Washington's drumming stands out here as it takes the lead along with the vocals for a trip that keeps the anthemic nature of the album going.

3. Lime Street

On the tracklist Lime Street closes off the first half of the album and it's probably one of the better 6 song runs on an album I can think of off the top of my head. The bouncy riffs and pop punk vocals are reminiscent of blink-182. This is simply a track that I would've listened to in my youth screaming at the top of my lungs while reading the lyrics booklet.

2. Gold Steps

This is probably the track where Ben Barlow does the most vocally. The 2nd verse he essentially raps before falling back into a snotty punk vocal style before going back to normal for the chorus. The album's title comes from this positive jam about how no matter how dire things look it'll get better so keep moving forward.

1. Can't Kick Up The Roots

As mentioned above this was the first Neck Deep song I heard and it's undeniably a bop. Maybe it's the fact that it introduced them to me that it claims first or maybe the band and label just knew what I did when I first heard it. This was the best pop punk song that had come out in 5 years and it needed to be released ASAP with a push behind it to get to as many ears as possible. The big chorus, the pop punk trope of leaving your hometown getting turned on it's head? Brilliant.

Top 10 Countdown: June 20, 2020

10. Run The Jewels Ft. Greg Nice & DJ Premier - Ooh La La
Last week: NEW!


9. A Day To Remember - Mindreader
Last week: 10.


8. Neck Deep - When You Know
Last week: 9.


7. Silverstein Ft. Princess Nokia - Madness
Last week: NEW!


6. blink-182 - Happy Days
Last week: 7.


5. Neck Deep - Lowlife
Last week: 1.


4. All Time Low - Getaway Green
Last week: 5.


3. Four Year Strong - Get Out Of My Head
Last week: 4.


2. Hot Mulligan - *Equip Sunglasses*
Last week: 3.


1. All Time Low - Sleeping In
Last week: 2.

Special: Scoob!, Beastie Boys Story, My Spy Mini-Reviews

Scoob!:

Synopsis: "SCOOB!" reveals how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global "dogpocalypse," the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.

My thoughts: Scoob! did a great job rebooting Mystery Inc. for a new generation and I really did enjoy the inclusion of Dick Dastardly as the villain however this seemed more like a film that was using it's biggest character to kick off a movie universe more than just making sure it tells a good story and it suffers as a result of that negligence.

Final verdict: 3.5 baby dogs out of 5.

Beastie Boys Story:

Synopsis: Beastie Boys Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz tell you an intimate, personal story of their band and 40 years of friendship in this live documentary experience directed by their longtime friend and collaborator, and their former grandfather, filmmaker Spike Jonze.

My thoughts: It's hard to judge this fairly being a Beastie Boys fan while also being sad that this project couldn't get off the ground while MCA (Adam Yauch) was still with us. This documentary tells the story of the Beasties in ne of my favourite formats... Where the stars stand in front of you and just talk about their history. That being said I would've liked to hear from more from people around them but given this style that would've been hard to accomplish but it comes off as the two remaining members loving to talk about themselves.

Final verdict: 4 thrown away porno mags out of 5.

My Spy:

Synopsis: My Spy follows JJ a hardened CIA operative (Dave Bautista) who has been demoted and finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, named Sophie (Chloe Coleman) where he has been sent undercover begrudgingly to surveil her family. When Sophie discovers hidden cameras in her apartment she uses her tech savviness to locate where the surveillance operation is set. In exchange for not blowing JJ's cover Sophie convinces him to spend time with her and teach her to be a spy. Despite his reluctance JJ finds he is no match for Sophie's disarming charm and wit.

My thoughts: This action star taking care of a kid trope has been done a million times before and they're running out of things that are new to throw at it. That being said My Spy has globetrotting action and enough laughs to make this an upper echelon entry into that pantheon of films.

Final verdict: 3.5 operatives out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: June 13, 2020

10. A Day To Remember - Mindreader
Last week: NEW!


9. Neck Deep - When You Know
Last week: 10.


8. Broadside - Foolish Believer
Last week: 8.


7. blink-182 - Happy Days
Last week: 9.


6. Four Year Strong - Learn To Love The Lie
Last week: 1.


5. All Time Low - Getaway Green
Last week: 7.


4. Four Year Strong - Get Out Of My Head
Last week: 5.


3. Hot Mulligan - *Equip Sunglasses*
Last week: 4.


2. All Time Low - Sleeping In
Last week: 2.


1. Neck Deep - Lowlife
Last week: 3.

Special: First Listen Thoughts: All Time Low "Wake Up, Sunshine", Courage My Love "Spectra", MxPx "MxPx (Deluxe)"

All Time Low - Wake Up Sunshine

Label: Fueled By Ramen

Press release: The Baltimore pop-punk kings will be releasing Wake Up, Sunshine – the follow-up to 2017’s Last Young Renegade – on April 3 via Fueled By Ramen, with frontman Alex Gaskarth explaining of how it came about: “We got back to how we started. It had been a long time since the four of us made a record under one roof. That became a central theme. We’ve been a band for 17 years. Everybody brought something to the table. A lot of what you’re hearing came from those magic moments together.”

My thoughts: This is definitely a throwback as they've backed away from the sound found on their previous record with the exception of a few tracks (which are generally the worst ones, no offence). It's still a mature record for a formerly immature band but they kept the sound their fans love from their earlier releases and mixed in the strong lyrics we've become used to from ATL over their last handful of albums. Most of these songs will end up on heavy rotation for me which I can not say about LYR.

Courage My Love - Spectra

Label: Mutie Productions

Press release: None found.

My thoughts: Courage My Love has definitely gone underground with this EP after releasing their last full length on a major labe. This 7 song EP is listed as from Mutie Productions which I found no references about. This EP continues to build on the sound the band found on the aforementioned full length (2017's Synethesia). Everybody's Lonely and Teenagers are among the highlights found on this seven track release. Built on strong 80's vibes including catchy melodies and synths this is a strong release from the band even if they will never go back to their pop punk roots.

MxPx - MxPx (Deluxe)

Label: Self-Released

Press release: Pop-punk mavericks MxPx are doing their part to keep your lockdown as adrenaline-charged as possible. The long-running band will be streaming a deluxe edition of their 2018 self-titled record Tuesday April 14th (Monday night at midnight EST). This edition will include the full original 11-song album, four bonus tracks and five acoustic versions. “We always expected to release the rest of these songs when the time was right,” says vocalist/bassist Mike Herrera. “I think with an almost full industry shutdown, this makes the most sense.”

My thoughts: So basically this album contains both MxPx's 2018 releases, the 11 self titled tracks as well as the Best Life EP which featured 2 songs and 2 accoustic versions of songs from the self-titled. The Deluxe gives us 3 more accoustic renditions and 2 brand new songs. I'll focus on the brand new songs as the self-titled was fine upon first listen in 2018 but the songs have really grown on me since. The 2 brand new songs are along the same vein. That's Life is the stronger of the two with a bouncy chorus that's bound to get stuck in your head.

Top 10 Countdown: June 6, 2020

10. Neck Deep - When You Know
Last week: NEW!


9. blink-182 - Happy Days
Last week: 10.


8. Broadside - Foolish Believer
Last week: 9.


7. All Time Low - Getaway Green
Last week: 7.


6. Anti-Flag - 20/20 Vision
Last week: 6.


5. Four Year Strong - Get Out Of My Head
Last week: 5.


4. Hot Mulligan - *Equip Sunglasses*
Last week: 4.


3. Neck Deep - Lowlife
Last week: 3.


2. All Time Low - Sleeping In
Last week: 2.


1. Four Year Strong - Learn To Love The Lie
Last week: 1.